Fire-escape.



No. 755,666. .PATENTBD MAR. 29, 1904.

, W. G. HORTON.

PIRE ESCAPE.

APBLIOATION FILED MAR. 1o, 190s.l No MODEL.l a sHEBTssHEBT 1.

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PATENTED MAR. 2 9, 19041 W. G. HoRToN.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED um. 1o, 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

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- UNITED STATES Patented March 29, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

`WILLIAM G. HORTON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO BENJAMINKIRKVVOOD, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 755,666, dated March29, 1904.

Application ied Mami 1o, 190s.

To all whom, it may concern.-4

Beit known that I, WiLLrAM G. HoRToN, a citizen of the United States,residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFire-Escapes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has relation to fire-escapes, and has for its object theprovision of a neat, simple, strong, and efcient apparatus that may bearranged within a room or upon awall outside of a window and which canin a few seconds be lowered alongside the wall, so as to afford a safemeans of descent.

In carrying my invention into eifect I provide a flexible laddercomposed of strands of thin but strong wire cable with hollow metallicrungs, and I arrange this ladder withina case or boX that may be securedin position either within a room adjacent to a window or other openingin the wall or upon the wall outside the window or other opening, oneend of the ladder being securely fastened to a framework within thecasing and the other end being free, so that the ladder may `be dropped`out the window or down the wall when thel casing is arranged outsidethe window and provide a safe means of descent for a person or personsfrom the window to the ground or other place of safety. The framework-to which the end of the ladder is secured is so constructed andarranged that when the apparatus is arranged within the building theframework can be manipulated so as to project beyond the windowsill andsustain the ladder at some little dis- .tance from the wall, so as topermit the persons using the ladder to place their feet on the rungs asthey descend without striking them against the Wall. The casing withinwhich the ladder and its supporting-framework are folded and containedwithin a room may be draped,

colored, or ornamented in any suitable man-A ner to conform to thefurnishing of the room, and the casing may be used as a window-seat,shelf, or stand.

My invention consists in the novel construc- Serial No. 147,180. (Nomodel.)

tion, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter described andclaimed. Y

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical sectionalview of my improvement arranged within a window, the ladder and itssupporting framework being shown folded within a suitable cover orcasing. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the casing removed and the ladderdepending from the framework outside the window. Fig. 3 is a vertical'sectional view of the apparatus in the same position as in Fig. l, theview in this figure being on the line y y of Fig. 4, whereas the viewFig. 1 is on the line w of Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a front view with theladder and framework in the position shown in Fig. l and the casingremoved.` Fig. 5 is a plan view of the apparatus in the position shownin Fig. 2; Figs. 6, 7, and 8, details of parts in section; Fig. 9, avertical sectional view of a modification, showing the modiiied form ofapparatus arranged outside a window; and Fig. l0, a front view of theapparatus shown in Fig. 9.

In the several views like letters of reference indicate correspondingparts, and A desig' n'ates an upright board or plate, which is pivotedto the stationary part and is adapted to project through the window whenthe apparatus is being used and sustain the flexible ladder at somedistance from the wall, so that a personv descending the ladder mayplace -theirY feet well in on the rungs of the ladder without strikingthem against the wall.

The stationary part of the framework is composed of the upright bars Cand the crossbars D, E, and F,'all bolted or riveted to- 'gether andfirmly attached to the board or plate A, Vwhich is, as before said,securely attached to the wall of the building below the window-sill.`The upper cross-barV D has its ends bent at right angles, so as toproject outwardly from the board or plate A, and

bolt G passes through holes in the outwardlyextending ends of cross-barD and is provided with nuts on its ends which serve to hold in positionon the bolt an Outrigger that is pivotally supported by and movablelengthwise on the bolt, as will be presently described. The cross-pieceE is, formed of angle-iron and serves to support a hanger-brace that isattached to a hanger forming part of the movable portion of theframework when the ladder and framework are folded up within the case.

The movable or Outrigger part of' the framework is composed of theL-shaped side bars H H, which are slotted at t, as shown, and throughwhich slots pass the bolt G, the parallel bars L L on each side, and thecrossbolts K and I.

The parallel bars L L embrace the ends of the slotted bars H H, and thebolts M and N pass through the parallel bars and through the slots /L /Land serve to adjustably secure the parallel bars and the slotted bars ofthe Outrigger together. Between the parallel bars L L on each side ofthe Outrigger are secured legs O O, that have cushioned feet 0 0, thatrest upon the window-ledge when the Outrigger is extending out thewindow, as in Fig. 1, and serve to sustain the Outrigger above thewindow-ledge, so as to enable a person descending the ladder to morereadily grasp the cross-bolt K at the outer end.

P designates a hanger composed of a piece of flat metal bent to a rightangle at each end and with eyes on the bent ends, through which pass thecross-bolt I, and Q, a hanger-brace pivotally attached to the hanger Pand adapted when the Outrigger is folded within the case to rest on thecross-piece E, the hanger serving to support the ladder within thecasing in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3.v

The ladder is composed of metallic rungs joined together by strands ofcomparatively thin but strong wire cable, and the details ofconstruction of this part of my invention will be best understood byreferring to Figs. 6, 7, and 8 of the drawings. Each rung is composed ofa single piece of metallic tubing R, having fitted in each end a splitplug composed of the half-sections r r, which have each two grooves s sof semicircular form, so that when the plugs are in position in the endsof the rungs the grooves will form holes for the passage of the strandsT of the wire cable. The plugs have rounded ends somewhat larger thanthe rungs, and the rounded ends of the plugs are formed withcircumferential grooves t, around which the cable T passes, the twostrands of the cable being united below the plugs by a clip u, so as toprevent the cable from slipping out of the grooves in the plugs. Thecable passes through the rung and through the hole in the plug at eachend, then up and around the plug of the rung above, then down andthrough the second hole in each plug, and then the meeting ends aresecured together by a clip o inside of the rung. This construction theapparatus is fixed 'outside of the window and is set out a littledistance from the wall,

Aso as to let the ladder swing clear of the wall,

and the stationary cross-bar E is replaced by a pivoted cross-bar YV,having a shaft extendingV out beyond the side of the casing and providedwith a pendent weight w, the cross-bar and weight serving to hold thehanger-brace Q and the hanger P in upright position, as in Fig. 1, butallowing the hanger to drop when the weight is swung to one side, andthus allowing the ladder to drop down alongside the wall, as shown inFig. 10.

In other respects the device shown in Figs. 10 and 11 is the same asthatshown in the other figures of the drawings and need not be moreparticularly described.

Operation: Then the apparatus is arranged within a room, as shown inFigs. 1, 2, and 3, and it is desired to put it in service, the casing A,which has notched lugs a, that engage with the bolt G, is removed andthe hanger grasped and drawn out. This motion releases the hanger-braceand allows the ladder to drop on the fioor. The Outrigger is then swungover and out the window, and the ladder, which swings by loops ZZ fromthe cross-bolt K, is allowed to drop down alongside the wall, theOutrigger resting on its feet 0 o, which bear on top of thewindow-ledge, as shown in Fig. 2. The slots /t /L in the side bars ofthe Outrigger permit of the Outrigger being swung over in the mannerdescribed, so as to project out of the window, and these slots, inconnection with the bolts M N, permit of the outrigger being adjusted inlength to fit windowledges of Various width, so as to insure the restingof the feet 0 0 on the window-ledge.

In the modification shown in Figs. 9 and 10 the Outrigger is not movedfrom its position in the casing, as any movement would be useless, andthe ladder simply depends from the cross-bolt K, which in this case isat the bottom of the casing.

While my invention is particularly adapted for use at a window, it canalso be used in other positions-for instance, as a terminal ladder forbalcony fire-escapes and in other positions that will readily suggestthemselves.

The` parallel bars L L may be composed of a single bar bent back onitself, as shown, or may consist of two bars bolted or riveted together.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In a fire-escape, thecombination with a stationary frame located within a building and anOutrigger having L-shaped side bars piv- IOO IIO

movable lengthwise on its pivot and adapted to be swung over so as toproject beyond a window-ledge, of a flexible ladder attached to theouter end of the Outrigger.

2. In a fire-escape, the combination with a stationary frame locatedwithin a building, of an Outrigger pivotally attached to said stationaryframe and movable lengthwise on its pivots, means for longitudinallyadjusting said Outrigger and locking it in its adjusted position, saidmeans comprising parallel'bars embracing the slotted side bars of theOutrigger and bolts passing through the parallel bars and the slots inthe side b'ars; and a flexible ladder attached to said Outrigger.

f 3. In a fire-escape, the combination with an Outrigger pivotallysecured to a stationary part and afolding ladder attached to saidOutrigger, of a pivoted hanger attached to said stationary part andadapted to pass between the ropes of and support the ladder whenfolded,said hanger being provided with means for supporting it in ahorizontal' position when raised.

4. In a Ere-escape, the combination with an Outrigger, a stationary partto which said outrigger is pivotally attached and afolding ladderattached to said Outrigger, of a hanger pivotally attached to theOutrigger, a hangerbrace, and a step or support'for said hangerbracelocated on the stationary part.

5. In a fire-escape, the combinaton with a stationary frame,'of anOutrigger having L- shaped side bars with slots following the contour ofthe side bars, a cross-bolton the stationary frame passing through theslots in the side bars and a ladder attached to said'outrigger.

6. In a lire-escape, the combination with a stationary part adapted Vtobe attached to a building and a flexible ladder, of a hanger, a bracepivotally attached to said hanger and a pivoted step or support for saidhanger-brace arranged on the stationary part and provided with acounterweight.

7. In a Ere-escape, a iexible ladder composed Of hollow rungs and cablesides, vthe cable being in sections of double strandswh-ich pass throughone rung and are looped over the ends of the rung above.

8. In a lire-escape, a flexible ladder composed of tubular rungs havingsplit plugs in their ends, each formed with two holes and acircumferential groove, and cable sections each of which passes throughone hole in the plug at each end of a rung thence up and around thegrooves in the plugs of the next rung, then down and through the otherholes in the plugs and into the rung, where its ends are securedtogether'.

In testimony whereof I have aiiixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIAM G. HORTON.

